Prophecy of the Elementals
by Cloudfire Of SunClan
Summary: This story is set approximately 5 years after the movie. (Kinda, there's time traveling) Jack's old friend and three others are chosen to become Guardians because Pitch is back. Only one of them remembers anything about her past life. It's going to get twisted because since she was sent BACK in time. Cloudfire might get a chance Jack never did. Yep, going to be strange. PART 1 OF ?
1. Chapter 1

**_Prologue _**

**_(No one's POV)_**

Two men stand over a teenage girl's prone body. If it weren't for her ragged breathing, she would seem dead. One is holding what looks like a phone, and is watching the minutes pass.

"Why the **** isn't she dead yet?" Haven't we tortured her enough?" The one asks his tone sarcastic. His partner replies.

"This girl is one that Master told us to find. We're supposed to stop the four from ever learning what they're meant to do. Master says 'the prophecy must never come true.'" The second sneers.

They banter back and forth until the first looks back at his watch.

"Why can't she just ****** die already!? She's too annoyingly determined for her own good." His partner continues looking at his watch.

"Two minutes to go." He announces, and though neither of them could hear it, the girl gives a raspy sigh.

The last beating had been the worst, the one she wasn't supposed to survive. They'd been beating her off and on for the last two weeks, testing her limits. Her limits for pain were much higher than an average girl due to her father.

When he got mad, it always seemed like her sister was the one he would go after. He had killed her mother a few years back, so now, she was the only thing between her father and her sister, Skylar. Her sister mattered more to her than anyone else.

She would do normal things now and then, but she always took Skylar along. She was the lead singer of a band, but they always practiced at her house. They did concerts, but her sister always came. Everyone always asked why she brought her sister along, but she never told them. Never showed them the bruises that littered her chest, arms, back, ect.

If her father didn't use his fists, he used whips, which were even worse. He made sure that they had slivers of glass imbedded in them, and never let her go until blood ran down her back in streams.

Because of that, she'd never let anyone else touch her, and she never screamed, cried, or pleaded. The only thing that had gotten her through the last two weeks was her sister. Although the wounds burned at the slightest motion, she left the 6-year-old lean against her, and never showed how much it hurt.

Two weeks before, the two men jumped her and her sister. She'd quickly worked out a deal with them. Two weeks of their worst, and if she survived, they'd let her sister go. Her sister had screamed at her not to do it, but she hadn't listened.

**_If I had, I wouldn't be here, but Skylar would be dead. I won't let that happen. _**She thought weakly. If it weren't for Skylar, she would've given up already. She finally turned her attention back to her torturers.

"30 seconds." The one with the watch said. The girl couldn't help, but be relieved. 10 more seconds, and then if she gave up, it wouldn't matter as much.

Suddenly, the one jabbed something small into her chest. A small wooden screw. She could literally feel the small hole in her lung where blood was suddenly pouring in. She panicked, gasping as she desperately tried to survive for the last few seconds.

"10…"

Blackness…No, stay awake, just a little longer.

"9…"

Can't…breathe

"8…"

Come on, Steph, just a little longer!

"7…"

Won't make it

"6…"

Have to

"5…"

Must

"4…"

Skylar

"3…"

Won't let her die

"2…"

Will survive

"1…"

Not that long

The last words she hears are "Time's up."

The thing neither of them sees is the moon shining down through a small sliver in the ceiling. It's a lunar eclipse, so the light golden light touches her eyelids, seeming to sink through them. Her hair is in the shadows, but it's darkening to a glossy raven-black.

A/N IGNORE TIME MESS-UPS, This is seriously confusing, I know, just follow along as well as you can!


	2. Chapter 2

**_Ch. 1 New Life_**

**_(No one's POV)_**

_A black-haired girl crouches on the rafters of an old barn, watching the two men beneath her. Her eyes flicker gold, like fire, in a way that makes her look like she has cat eyes. The men are carrying a stained bag that is now covered in red blotches, but looks like it could've at one point been white, between them. It was actually about the same size as the black-haired girl. Whatever it was, it was bulky and heavy. The men strained and argued about what to do with the 'other one.' The black haired girl watched them in confusion, and then slipped down the wall._

_She wears a black vest with a dark blue inside, a pair of blue jeans, dark brown moccasins, a camouflage tank top, her hair is tied back in a Katniss braid, except for the messy bangs that end right above her eyebrows, and she has a fire-colored headband wrapped around her forehead. That girl is me._

**_(Cloudfire's POV)_**

Darkness is the first thing I remember. Darkness and a sense of urgency, that I need to do something. I finally stir, climbing to my feet in a few seconds. I watch the men for a few minutes, trying to piece together what was going on.

It is midnight dark in the barn, and the only light source is a small hole in the roof where I can just barely see a sliver of orange. The phrase 'lunar eclipse' appears in my mind, and I am seriously annoyed. I can figure out random moon phrases, but I can't remember my own name? I look around, trying to get my bearings.

I take a step forward and I feel something hard through my moccasin. I bend down quickly, picking up a small circular object. As soon as my hand touches it, it explodes into flame. I drop it almost instantly, but in its light, I see another. I carefully pick them both up, this time holding them despite the flames. They don't feel even slightly warm in my hands, but they help me find small brown purse with a fire-colored peace sign on it. I instinctively pick it up, putting it on, and notice that the circular things are twisting in my hands.

Any normal person would be running at this point, but, as I'm sure you've noticed, I'm not exactly normal.

I carefully let go of the golden circles and they form themselves around my  
wrists as another word flickers through my head 'bracelets.' _Okay, well that's great, now who is going to tell me what in StarClan's name is going on here? _I think to myself, not understanding my automatic reference to StarClan. I think for a few seconds, and when I come up with nothing, I just push it to the back of my mind with my other three million questions.

I'm about to walk outside when I hear someone crying. I instinctively follow the sound to where a small girl is chained, sobbing uncontrollably. Through her tears, I manage to understand a name 'Steph,' and again I am clueless. I gently reach over and touch her shoulder and she jumps up, staring at me with wide eyes. She looks at me for a few seconds, and then starts to shrink away.

"No, no, stay away. I want to go home. I want my sister back. I want to go home." She mutters different phrases to herself, only two of them making sense to me. I gently explain that I'm here to help, and she glares at me suspiciously.

"Why should I trust you?" her inquiring tone leaves me clueless.

"Because, even though I have no idea what's going on, I swear, I'll get you home." That's all I can think to tell the poor girl, and she finally nods. I melt her chains, using the fire powers that I have purely by instinct, and gently pick her up, trying to figure out what the heck to do now. "Where do you live?" I ask softly, trying to break the awkward silence. She squirms in my grasp, so I carefully loosen my grip just enough that she can adjust without me dropping her.

"I'm from another time period. I'm from the future." _Okay, well that one was a little unexpected._ I think, unable to speak. _How in StarClan's name am I going to get her home now?_ The younger girl finally speaks.

"My name's Skylar, what's yours?" I'm paying just enough attention to her that I hear her question. I sighed sadly.

"I actually don't know, but if I figure it out, you'll be the second to know." I answer easily. Suddenly the men come back. They burst inside, and look straight through us.

"WHERE IS THE LITTLE RAT?!" Yells the first one, a big, burly, tattooed, maniac. "ROB, WHERE IS IT?!"

"I honestly couldn't say there Jim," the other, Rob, squeaks so much with terror that Skylar and I burst out laughing. They apparently can't see or hear us, which is most definitely a relief. I whisper, though, purely on instinct.

"Has Jim looked at Rob, because I think he's confused about who is the rat." I burst into giggles as Skylar laughs, and then I follow them out to their car. It was fancy, and I hope it can take us where we need to go. (A/N it's a like a Delorian, or however the heck you spell it, but she doesn't know that!) Skylar and I slip into the backseat, and I made sure to keep a tight grip on her as we go hurtling through time.

We finally stop and the instant we get out, Skylar looks more relaxed. I know instinctively that this is her time period and I easily ask which way her house is. She points me in a direction and I instantly, acting fully on instinct, jump and seem to land on a ray of moonlight. _Whatever works_ I think, surfing the beam of light.

Skylar stops me a few hours later, pointing out her house. All the lights are on. I quickly land on the porch and she knocks. Within a few seconds, a woman comes out, breaking into a forced smile. I glance at her nervously, not sure what to think.

Skylar ignores me as she goes inside, walking straight past me as she goes, telling the woman that she's okay. Her face is thoughtful, and I feel like something is going to happen. I shrug it off, and decide to leave.

I jump off the porch and since it's warmer here than at the barn, I catch a weak thermal instead of a moonbeam. I fly/surf back to the barn, not really knowing what else to do. I hop inside the car, liking the halfway familiar feeling of being in a place I'd seen before. I relax, knowing that no one can see me; therefore I'm not going to get arrested for being in someone else's car. I close my eyes, probably not the best idea, but I have a headache and I'm exhausted.

When the two men come back, I'm asleep in the back. By the time I wake up, we're flashing through time again, and the instant the car slows, I jump out. I instantly try to process where I'm at, **when **I'm at.

I can't figure anything out so I just lay down next to a tree, staring at the moon. It's still a light orangey color from the eclipse, and as it seems to dim back to normal, I hear a voice both outside my head, and inside

**_Your name is Cloudfire, and you control fire, and anything related to it. Use your skills well, little spark._**

I jump when I first hear anything, then my brain shuts down. Finally, I manage a short, soft squeak.

"Who are you exactly? And why should I listen to a word anyone says right now?" I hear the voice laugh softly.

**_I am the Man in the Moon, and I am the reason you're speaking today. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be here. _**

_I'm probably not being as polite as I should be. _I think to myself as the Man in the Moon's voice stops. I have a strange feeling I won't be hearing from him for a long time to come.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Ch. 2 Opposites Attract?_**

Over the next 233 years, I learn as much about my powers as I can. I can surf light and heat like a pro, use my wristlets as whatever I need, do anything I want with fire, (usually helping firefighters) and give people, usually kids, that last little burst of courage when they feel like they can't go on. Overall, I'm good to go, but I'll admit it, I'm lonely. I meet a few others like me, but no one that doesn't have a job, or something to keep them busy.

Over time, I travel to wherever anyone needs me. They can't see me, or my quick sparks that give them bravery, but they can feel the effects. Sometimes, I'll just get bored and go to the nearest forest, transforming my wristlets into a bow and a quiver full of arrows, and just shoot something.

I can't stand being alone, it freaks me out, so, I shoot trees, or rather, I shoot _between _trees. It's not that I'm a creepy killer of nature, it's just that I need something to do.

I make sure I can aim with 100% accuracy before trying it on anything alive, but before long, I'm shooting arrows close to people's heads into brick walls.

Every now and then, an immortal comes over and usually freaks out, but then they shut up as I shoot an arrow straight through their fingers, less than a centimeter apart. They all accept me, but it's in an I-know-I-can't-get-rid-of-you-so-I'll-put-up-with-you kind of way.

Now, exactly 233 years after I became an immortal, I sit by a lake near a small colonial town. A boy and girl came out here earlier, and I didn't see what happened after that, I just knew that I can't find the boy anywhere. Their names, if I remember right, are Jack and Lilac.

Suddenly, the moon seems to glow brighter. The ice in the middle of the lake starts to crack, and I shoot some fire at it, making it break faster.

Then, a boy, about my age, (based on looks, I'm somewhere in my teens) lifts out of the lake. His hair is pure ice-white, and his eyes are somewhere between sky and river blue. I can tell that he is just as disoriented as I was when I first became an immortal, and only the fact that Man in the Moon (after this, shortened to MiM) tells me to stay out of sight keeps me from trying to help.

He frosts the entire lake, using a stick that he's found on the lake that I know will end up being his way of directing his powers, and when he takes off flying, I am reminded of my first time hovering in midair. I was even less steady than he is! I use the moonbeams to follow him, and when he gets to the nearby colonial settlement named Burgress, he tries to talk to people.

I flinch as first a young boy and then three adults walk through him. I follow him back out to the middle of nowhere before I say hi and introduce myself. He smiles when he figures out that at least someone can see him.

"Apparently I'm Jack Frost. Can you tell me what in the world is going on?" Jack asks, looking embarrassed, but I just smile sadly.

"You don't remember anything, do you?" I ask, already knowing his answer will be no. I decide then and there that I won't leave this kid alone the way I was stuck for the last 233 years.

I think vaguely that maybe hanging out with a kid named 'Jack Frost' when 'fire' is literally in my name might not be such a good idea, but I'm determined.

Over the next few months, we learn together. Jack learns about his frost powers and we both learn how not to kill each other, keeping our elements separate, even though we can work closely.

Pretty soon, Jack can send a thin icicle, and I can loop fire around it without melting it. After that, working together, we could direct it at anyone or anything, and spear it. Who would have ever thought that ice and fire could be such great friends?

As Jack and I learn about our powers, we also get to know a lot about each other. Jack is most definitely a troublemaker, playing random pranks whenever he gets even the slightest bit bored. I'm more serious, but only in comparison. I also hate any type of physical contact. I always flinch, like my skin remembers something my brain doesn't.

In 1968, I make a MAJOR mistake. It's Easter Sunday, and Jack talks me into not practicing at all today, to take a break. I agree, trying to make him promise to stay out of trouble, but I know it's hopeless. Finally, I just hop up on a nearby telephone pole and watch Jack do his winter thing. (A/N THIS IS A VERY CLOSE FRIEND STORY, NO ROMANCE OR CREEPYNESS INTENDED!) Before long, he's made mini snowstorm.

"Jack, you know Bunny is going to hate your guts forever if you mess up his holiday, right?" I ask. Jack grins back at me.

"It's just a light dusting; it's not going to hurt anything. If anything, it'll make his eggs easier to find." Jack answers, flying off. I have a major feeling that something is going to go wrong, so I follow.

Suddenly, some sprites spring out of nowhere.

"What are you doing Frost? Winter's over here, it's Spring now, go spread your snow elsewhere." The spring spirits are fuming, and I know this is going to end badly. Jack's 'light dusting' is starting to pick up, and I quickly start trying to get the storm to leave, but I don't have the same powers Jack does.

By the time Bunny arrives, Jack's made a full-fledged blizzard. This is mostly due to the fact that the spring sprites decided to start whacking him with thick branches. When he's hurt, angry, or anything else majorly emotional, he can't control any storms that he's made.

The spring spirits instantly fade out when they sense Bunny coming, and Jack isn't too worried about his visible wounds. Mostly what they did was hit his hoodie, so the bruises aren't visible. Bunny, for his part, is furious.

"FROST! HOW COULD YOU MAKE A BLIZZARD ON EASTER! CAN YOU SERIOUSLY BE THAT SELF-CENTERED?!" Bunny starts screaming his lungs out. Jack just turns pale. I can tell he isn't looking forward to anytime he meets Bunny in the future.

Bunny takes a few hops towards him, and Jack instantly takes off. I hang around just long enough for the spring spirits to show up and start going on about how they tried to stop him, and then I leave before I make one of them spontaneously combust.

Over the next few decades, we see Bunny very little (Thank StarClan). Jack doesn't MAJORLY mess up any other holidays, (maybe I should add 'to my knowledge' to that last sentence) and we are generally bored. Jack still tries to get people to see him, but I just watch. I'd given up on people seeing me a long time ago, but I didn't want to have Jack lose his optimism.

Most of the time, that was all that kept him going, that and his ever so annoying ability to turn even a life-threatening situation into a game. I just put on a brave face and tell him 'better luck next time.'

After the first time he sees a small boy named Jamie, Jack starts really focusing on getting the kids to see him. On more than one occasion, he starts snowball fights, much to everyone's amusement, but he always ends up getting walked through. Snow isn't really my thing, so I just watch each of his attempts.

One night, a few days before Easter, Bunny actually comes to find Jack. I follow Bunny through his tunnel, simply because of my other option. He motions to a yeti and the yeti stuffs Jack in a sack and tosses him through a portal. I roll my eyes as I surf the heat through Bunny's tunnels, wondering what Jack will say to whoever chose THAT method.

When we both get to the pole, I watch North tell Jack that he's been chosen to be a Guardian. Jack, being Jack, immediately refuses the offer and I watch their conversation play out. Jack's sarcasm never fails, and I just barely muffle my laughter.

As soon as they leave, I sense major fear and need of courage. I quickly slip under the sleigh to get out and then jump off, flying on my own as I go to help whoever the heck needs me now.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Ch. 3 New Ally_**

I finally find an old, creepy-looking mansion that belongs in a horror film. I walk in, not really sure what to expect. I find an old room full of furniture and a girl of about hair is dark brown, and her eyes match her hair. She's surrounded by two men who are asking where someone was. She sobs openly, and normally I would chalk her up as a wimp, but she has scabs and oozing cuts all over her body. I flinch as one man leans over her with a knife.

"I'm not going to ask again Rose, where is Anny?" He demands, his tone only mildly annoyed. I form my wristlet into a knife and try to parry his blade, but mine goes right through his. Rose's agonized scream wrenches at my heart, and I find myself wishing that I could have healing powers. For lack of anything else to do, I send Rose as much courage energy as I can. She instantly seems to relax, and I can only hope that I've made the pain a little more bearable.

For the next few hours, she hangs on. There are times she comes close to breaking, but I send some more courage/bravery/whatever-you-want-to-call-it energy. Finally, one man gets annoyed and shoves his knife into her lung.

I can't bear to listen as she dies, but I suddenly find that I can touch her without my hand going through her, so I gently put my hand on her shoulder and I swear her eyes meet mine as the light leaves them.

A few seconds pass that seem like hours. Finally, I stop staring into Rose's dead eyes, move my hand, and get up to leave, but a flash of moonlight on her hair stops me. I hesitate, trying to figure out what's going on. The two men get out of their seats, pick up her body, and move it. The thing that glues me in place? I still see her on the table.

The moonlight seems to trace her features. Her hair's color seems to darken until it's a dark cinder-gray color, and when she opens her eyes and looks at me, they're a light pulsing red. I'll admit, it took a lot of self-control not to scream. I stare at her, my expression mirrored in her eyes. Finally, she breaks the silence.

"Didn't I just die?" she chokes out, her tone full of terror, fear that it had all been a dream and there was more pain to come. I manage a nod and she looks scared, still. I manage a soft whisper after a few seconds.

"What do you remember?" She looks at me like I'm insane, but tells me a short list of major things about her. I'm now annoyed, but this time, with myself. Why can't I remember anything? I quickly shake myself out of my thoughts and glance at her before blurting out a question that I really should've thought through.

"Do you want to team up? I don't know much of what's out there, but everyone needs friends." I say, feeling like I'm babbling on about nothing, but Rose nods and grins before noticing something that even I hadn't noticed in that last few seconds. She picks up two bracelets and somehow they make me even more determined to stick with the other girl. The two wristlets resemble mine, but they're 1.) A different color and 2.) A slightly different design. Mine look like plain bands with fire designs on them while hers look more like chains. My grin is deadly.

"Let's go, you need someone to show you how to work those." I smirked, and Rose looked at me warily. As we go outside, she stops, and I glance at her, confused. She suddenly shakes off whatever it is and meets my gaze.

"Apparently, my name is Cinderrose now. Freaky voice in my head that says that it's the Man in the Moon says so." She says, expecting me to look at her like she's lost it. I just smile.

"Trust me, I know the feeling. I have a few friends, well one, that knows exactly what you're talking about." Suddenly, I think of something and instantly face-palm. "I never introduced myself, did I?" I ask, embarrassment layering my tone. Cinderrose laughs.

"Now that I think about it, nope. What's your name?" She manages, in between laughing. I grin.

"Cloudfire, nice to meet you Cinderrose." I answer formally before cracking up. After we both manage to calm down, I try to teach her how to surf the heat and light. She fails, but she figures out that she can travel through the earth almost as fast as I can surf, so we're good to go. I grin and we head to Burgess, Jack's hometown.

I just want to see what all's going on, but the instant I look around, I know something's wrong. I quickly tell Cinderrose that I think we should leave, and she agrees.

We head off in a random direction until we come to a small town in the middle of America. Shippensburg, the sign reads. Sweet, let's find new people to annoy, despite the fact that we're invisible. I quickly explained this to Cinderrose on the way here, and, because we still had a few hours of surf time to kill, she told me about her old life, well, the major part that I had questions about anyway.

Anny was an old friend of hers and while she wasn't sure why they were asking the questions, Cinderrose was determined to remain loyal to her friend and not give away the secret that she'd been told. She doesn't tell me what it is, and I'm totally okay with that. If she promised, who am I to have her break that promise?


	5. Chapter 5

**_Ch. 4 Wolves_**

Over the next three years, Cinderrose and I become close friends. We know each other's heads as well as, if not better than, we know our own. She fits right in with my life. We both needed a friend, and I don't have to worry about burning her to a crisp because she has earth powers, therefore, she's not flammable, and we're both good at annoying people, despite the minor invisibility factor.

One night, we're walking through the forest. Yes, I know that sounds creepy, but we both really like nature. I like the trees and Cinderrose is more relaxed if she can see the open sky.

Suddenly, a wolf howls. I normally would say 'well, we're in the woods, it's natural to hear a wolf howl,' but there's something strange about the sound. I follow the long mournful howls, (trust me, it wasn't that hard) and Cinderrose follows me.

After a few moments of walking, we find a clearing. The clearing is filled with a wolf pack. If I were able to be harmed by them, I would be going the other way very quickly, but instead, I walk towards the center where two wolves sit.

As I walk towards them, I start almost seeing double. Cinderrose follows, noticing the same thing I do. The closer we get to the wolves, the clearer we can see things through their eyes.

Finally, I step right up to the one. She has raven-black fur, and though I can't see her eyes, I have a sneaking suspicion that they're bright neon gold. Testing fate, I reach over and get her attention by gently putting my hand on the back of her neck. She instantly whips around growling and showing her teeth. I slowly back up, knowing for sure that she won't hesitate to bite me.

I'm pretty scared right now, but, since I can still see through the wolf's eyes as well as my own, I know she doesn't want to hurt me, she just wants to know what the flip is going on.

Her packmates walk right through her like she's not even there, never seem to look at her, they won't answer her yelps, and the only one that will is so depressed that she won't do anything!

I carefully hold out my hand, even though my head is spinning from the wolf's thought and my own, and just look away. If she does decide to bite off my hand, at least I won't have to watch.

After a moment, I feel her soft muzzle against my palm. I let go of the breath that I didn't know I was holding and glance at the wolf. She lightly nudges under my hand and lets me pet her. I smile and glance around for Cinderrose.

Cinderrose's job is easier than mine was. Since the wolf is so depressed, she doesn't even react as Cinderrose walks over. She barely glances up until Cinderrose lightly strokes her head. Then, she gets up, and she looks so relieved to have someone not go through her that she's Cinderrose's friend as soon as her hand touches her fur. I grin as the two wolves follow us out of the clearing.

"Well, you two need names, don't you?" I ask the wolves playfully. I'll never stop thinking of the black one as almost a person. She's smart, and her personality mirrors my own. Cinderrose glances at the cinder-colored wolf.

"Garnett." She says after a moment of thought. The name fits the wolf's eyes, I think to myself as I nod. I glance at the black-furred wolf, and in that moment, she reminds me of a bird.

"Raven." I say simply. Cinderrose nods and Raven nudges my hand again. Apparently the name isn't as bad as I thought.

Cinderrose and I quickly start training our wolves. Since their minds are a lot like ours, it doesn't take long. Raven is an amazing wolf, and I can read her mind with ease.

Cinderrose is having the same kind of luck with Garnett, except she's actually taking time to teach her fighting routines. I don't bother, because I know that in a fight, it's better to react.

Our wolves mostly stay with us after that, and I really like the fact that the two work together so well. Raven and Garnet are each other's shadows as much as they are ours.

Before long, all I have to do is whistle and Raven is there in a heartbeat. After a lot of persuasion, Cinderrose convinced me to help her work out hand signals. I figured that it would come in handy if we were ever trying to get something across secretly.

The wolves memorized the signals even easier than I did and pretty soon, we were practicing them constantly. I could surf away; use a signal, and Cinderrose, Garnett, and Raven all knew what I was planning. We all loved the idea, but the wolves ran into a minor issue. No hands. So, we all learned signals for humans, and enough wolf language to get by. Personally, I'd rather just read minds, but if that ever failed, we knew what to do.

I glance around one day, basically just hanging out. We'd finished major practice for the day, and we were relaxing. I looked over the wolves and then at Cinderrose. I might not have the normal family, but I have a pack, and that's about as good as it gets.


	6. Chapter 6

**_No one's POV_**

**_In the North Pole, black sand covers, not just the globe this time, but everything. North rushes out of his office at the yetis' request and sees the sand suddenly fly everywhere. Pitch's shadow rushes around the perimeter of room as he cackles evilly._**

**_"Why does this feel so familiar?" North grumbles to himself as he presses the lever that calls the Northern Lights. Before long, the Guardians arrive._**

**_"Anyone else getting that familiar feeling?" Bunny asks as he hops in the door. Jack flies in, amazingly on time for once, and Tooth follows. Sandy drifts in right behind them._**

**_"What's this about, North?" Jack asks, looking concerned. "What's wrong? You wouldn't call us here for nothing." North looks at him gravely._**

**_"Pitch is back...again. He was here…again." North says quietly, earning a superfast flash of symbols from Sandy, and an incomprehensible babble from the other Guardians. Jack, ironically, is the only one that stays silent. Only when everyone quiets down, does he speak._**

**_"What do we do? How is he back? Is he stronger than before?" Jack asks, trying to stay calm, but failing quickly. North tries to look calm, but he's failing too._**

**_"I didn't think we'd see him for another 1,000 years at least." Tooth puts in. Suddenly Sandy looks upwards, noticing the moon. Rather than waste time like last time, he just jumps in Jack's face to get his attention. Jack instantly gets the others and they just wait. A moonbeam settles on the floor and the crystal appears. Jack is the first to speak._**

**_"He's choosing a new Guardian, isn't he?" North nods and the glow of the crystal expanded until it was too big for just one picture. Not one, not two, not even three, but FOUR girls appear out of the blue sand, dust-like substance. Tooth is the first to recover._**

**_"Correction, he's choosing _****_four_****_ new Guardians." She stutters. Bunny glances at the pictures before picking the one that seems to be interesting Jack._**

**_"Please tell me that's not Cupid." Bunny says, trying to joke, but Jack looks serious for once._**

**_"That's not Cupid, that's Cloudfire." He answers, looking stunned._**

**_Ch. 5 Guardians?_**

It's just before Christmas exactly 10 years after Jack left to do MiM-knows-what when something unusual happens. I'm light-surfing, as I now call it, and Cinderrose is back with the wolves.

Suddenly, a chilly gust of wind knocks against my side. I glance over, but I don't see anything, so I shrug it off and land near where Cinderrose swore she would take the wolves. They aren't there. Ok, now I'm worried. I quickly whistle and listen for the responding howl.

There! I quickly follow it, finding Raven in a few seconds. I glance at her, something is _soooo_ not right. I follow the small black wolf and find Cinderrose just as a yeti stuffs her in a sack. I glance around until I find Garnett, and then quickly signal her to follow me. She nods and obeys instantly.

I quickly tell Raven to follow me, but stay out of sight, and slip off, that is, until I literally run into Jack. He spins, staff pointed at my chest. I quickly hold my hands up.

"Please don't frost me; I'm not really a fan of ice." He quickly lowers his staff, grinning. A sudden wolven yelp gives me just enough time to dodge before the yeti grabs the empty air where I stood a moment before. I glare at him until he steps back. "Do not even try it unless you want to lose your fur." I threaten, and the yeti shrinks back. Jack looks shocked, but still smirks as he catches an easy gust of wind.

"Since when are you so violent?" Jack tries to joke. I grin in reply.

"Since a mouse-brain tried to stuff me in a sack. That might have worked on you Frosty, but I think I'll pass." I answer sarcastically. Jack just shrugs and yells something about a portal. I signal Raven to follow me over land, and I jump through. We all land easily on the floor of the North Pole and Cinderrose glances at me in fake annoyance.

"Why didn't they put you in a sack?" She asks, glaring at the yetis. I smirk.

"They didn't know I had an extra pair of eyes. Speaking of which, where were yours?" I answer, going with our agreement not to tell anyone about the wolves, smirking. Cinderrose finally grins, but doesn't answer my question.

"You know I'm going to get you, right?" She sighs finally, accepting that I'll be teasing her forever.

"You can try." I challenge in response. Then I actually take time to look around. "Wow, North, you really haven't done anything with the place since a decade ago." North looks shocked.

"How do you know that?" He asks suspiciously. I smirk and nod in Jack's direction.

"Just because he never got past the yetis, doesn't mean no one can." I answer calmly, nodding to Jack as I speak. Now Jack looks ready to get me too. "Why do I have the feeling I should be running right about now?" I ask, glancing at the other two. Cinderrose grins and she shrugs. "Okay, why are we here again?" I ask, changing the subject. I look at North as I speak, but it's Jack who answers.

"You two, along with two others, are the newest Guardians." He replies calmly, and I actually find myself speechless for a few seconds. It's Cinderrose who recovers first.

"Okay, that explains absolutely nothing, but rewind and freeze anyway!" Her voice shakes a little as she almost yelps the words. Jack smirked.

"You two are taking this better than I thought actually. North, you owe Tooth a 20." He says, changing subjects in midsentence. I glance at him in confusion. "North bet that between the two of you, you'd destroy something. Tooth bet, well, exactly what you're doing." He shrugs, and I just roll my eyes.

"So, where are the others? You said us and two more." I finally ask, trying to absorb the information. Jack looks nervous.

"We don't know. We didn't even know that Cinderrose here was around. There's too many spirits to keep track of." He answers finally, glancing at the floor. Cinderrose looks annoyed, but she doesn't say anything.

Cinderrose suddenly thinks of something and signals me **_Where's Garnett? _**North and Jack look confused, but I respond steadily. **_I told her to follow, but not through the portal. Raven's with her_**. I reassure her quickly. She nods, and we go back to speaking out loud.

Suddenly, the rest of the Guardians walk in. Well, Bunny hops, Tooth does her fluttery thing, and Sandy drifts, but who's being specific? North quickly introduces us and apparently Tooth likes Cinderrose's teeth. I bite my tongue to keep from laughing.

Jack looks like he's trying not to crack up as well, except Tooth likes his teeth even more than Cinderrose's. North finally just tells her to quit and she does, but I think she'll be right back to it very soon.

Bunny looks hesitant to get to know anyone, but, then again, the last new Guardian they had was Jack, so I can't really say I blame him. Tooth quickly explains what the Guardians do, and Jack jumps in whenever she stops for half a second. I just glance over at Bunny, and his look says 'if you are that annoying, you're dead.' I just smirk, and I swear he turns a shade paler.

North finally interrupts Tooth's very long explanation and asks us what our centers are. Cinderrose's expression is a blank 'huh?' and mine isn't far behind. I might have listened to the first part of the convo ten years back, but that wasn't part of it. North laughs and gestures for us to follow. Jack quietly whispers a word of advice as I walk past.

"Stay near the center of the room." I glance at him in total confusion, and then follow North to his office. He said something I didn't understand, and then stepped forward in a way that scared me half to death. He stepped towards us, freaking me out. My body reacts before I think, and the next thing I know, I'm sitting on one of the rafters, far out of reach.

North laughs at my expression, but not in a mean way. He watches my expression like he expects me to jump down. When I don't, he, just shrugs, and turns to Cinderrose.

He explains what a center is, and I think I know Cinderrose's. She's loyal to the core, and over the years, she's helped kids keep their secrets. I glance at North, and I can tell that he knows what hers is too, but he thinks it's best if she figures it out herself. When he glances at me again, I'm still hanging out on the ceiling.

"You know you can come down, right?" I nod, and North looks like he's about to continue, but Bunny runs in.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Ch. 6 Trouble at the Tooth Palace_**

"We got a problem, mate. Trouble at the Tooth Palace. And you're right, this does feel familiar." He turns and hops off as everyone bolts to the sleigh. Cinderrose quickly stutters that she isn't going, and certainly not climbing into some old, dangerously outdated…sleigh. She sighs and agrees to one ride. North laughs.

"Everyone loves the sleigh." North grins. **_Except for me apparently. _**I think to myself, I try to decline, but Bunny gives me a light tap on the shoulder that says _if I have to get in that death trap, so do you_. I hop on the back, and Bunny gives me a wary look. North takes off and I'll admit, I love the speed. Normally it takes me about a half-hour to get to the speed that North achieves in seconds!

The instant we're out of the tunnel, I get Bunny's attention. Then, catching Jack's eye, I jump. Bunny screams, but I laugh and fly over top of them on a beam of light and heat. I wave hi to Jack, who looks totally unconcerned, and Bunny, who looks sick. North makes a portal and I fly through ahead of them.

The Tooth Palace stuns me almost as much as the Nightmares flying everywhere. Jack looks at them intently before yelling something. I don't hear, but I know what he said. I fly over and grab a few of Tooth's fairies out of the air before a Nightmare can.

I dive back down to the sleigh and put them down, gesturing frantically to Cinderrose. She gets my drift and surfs skyward, making a tiny tornado of earth to keep her in the air, and pulling out her spear as she goes. She's best with a spear, I'm best with knives. Go figure.

We dart around, taking out Nightmares by the dozen. Jack flies up to join us, evidently realizing that we weren't going to be fighting this battle on the ground. His staff glows blue, and he frosts Nightmares before they can take the fairies or the teeth. I send blast of flame everywhere, being careful not to hit the many, many, many minifairies.

When the Nightmares finally stop attacking, Cinderrose and I land in the sleigh. We all fly in to see Tooth. She's frantic, looking for the fairies, all of whom are in the back of the sleigh, and the teeth, most of which are in the sleigh. A specific tiny fairy seems to like me, and she perches on my shoulder until we stop. Tooth looks over and squeals in excitement and relief.

"Oh, thank heaven you're all okay." She says joyfully as the fairies crowd around her. They spare only a second before they start flying everywhere, going to gather more teeth, except for the one who really likes my shoulder.

I glance at Tooth, catching her eye before looking questioningly at the small, feathery fairy next to my neck. I think for a moment, and then decide to call her Bluefeather. Tooth smiles at the little fairy before asking her politely to go get a tooth. I shoot Tooth a grateful glance before jumping off the small platform, earning a sharp squeal from Tooth, and catching a beam of light.

I light-surf over to Jack and Cinderrose who are trying to help the minifairies sort out the tooth boxes. Suddenly, a loud, very terrifying voice that seems to belong to no one echoes around. I glance around as the others pull out their weapons. Cinderrose hadn't turned her spear back to a bracelet, so she just grabbed the glowing weapon off of the floor.

I carefully make sure that I can keep major light or heat sources nearby, and pull out my dagger. Jack flies quickly up to the rest of the Guardians. Cinderrose and I follow him, not knowing what to expect. I transform my dagger into a bow and the other bracelet into a quiver full of arrows; I have a sinking feeling that I will need the range.

Cinderrose and I landed next to the Guardians, my bow ready and her spear sharp. Pitch sneers as he sees us.

"What's this? Is the Man in the Moon so desperate that he sends a couple of **_children _**to help his all-powerful Guardians?" I glare as he calls us children, but say nothing. Tooth flies up, grabbing one of Bunny's boomerangs on the way.

Suddenly a Nightmare sprang out of nowhere. Acting purely on reflex, I aimed straight past Tooth and released the arrow. The Nightmares, no matter how fast they are, cannot apparently dodge golden arrows. The arrow struck directly in the creature's chest, and it crumbled, bursting into flames as it went.

Pitch watches, fully shocked, though he doesn't show it, and Tooth looks nervous. I don't blame her, seeing how if she would've leaned to the right a little; yeah let's not think about that. I quickly whip out another arrow and take aim, ignoring all of the stunned looks I'm getting from the Guardians. Pitch laughs.

"Perhaps you're not as weak as you look. Would you like to join up?" His tone absolutely creeps me out. I shift my weight, making it look as though I'm thinking over his offer. I'm about to answer when I see two men in the shadows.

"Who are they?" I ask instead of the snappy comment that was on the tip of my tongue. Pitch looks over and smiles.

"They're a couple of my friends; they do errands for me sometimes." He answers easily. I slowly lower my bow, kick off the ground, and go over to look at them closer, giving Cinderrose a quick signal, which she understands in a second. Pitch follows me, and Cinderrose covers my back as I get a closer look. They're the same two that tortured Cinderrose!

I give a sharp, wolven yip, a signal for the wolves normally, but faster than signing. I whip around, my bow turning into a dagger in a second. I take a nice chunk out of Pitch's stomach as I slip past him, using strictly heat now, because there isn't much light at the moment. I quickly glance at Cinderrose and she catches my meaning in a half a second.

I fly back down to the Guardians, whipping my dagger back into a bow, and easily have an arrow out in seconds. Cinderrose chops the shadow men to sand in a second and flies back down to join us. North looks confused, not understanding the reason for our fury. I look at Pitch.

"You have _friends?_ I didn't even realize that was possible." I answer sarcastically. Pitch glares, and Jack bursts out laughing. "And FYI, if you have friends that torture one of my friends, the odds of me joining you are slim, none, to negative one. Mostly in the negative range." The Guardians look less confused than they did before as they hear my words. Cinderrose glares.

"Cloudfire's a great friend, she would never join you!" She practically snarled, getting everyone's attention. I give her a friendly smile, and she smiles back. Suddenly Nightmares appear from every shadow.

"Do you think you can beat all of them?" Pitch's sneer was a challenge, but I manage to not burst into flames as my temper rose.

"Not a problem, unless they're going to hide from us like you." I answer, insults coming easily. Jack steps between me and the Boogeyman, and glances back and forth before realizing that standing between me and Pitch probably isn't the best move. He moves aside quickly, not wanting to get blasted with fire.

Then, a wolf-like howl comes from outside. I instantly glance at Cinderrose, and she nods. I lift my hand and whistle loud, clear, and strong. I can easily distinguish Raven's howl from Garnett's, and she knows my whistle. We hear the clattering of nails, and Pitch gives the signal to attack while we're distracted.

Cinderrose lifts her spear, destroying Nightmares easily. My knife flashes, taking Nightmares down faster than thought itself. Jack starts to move forward, but Tooth puts a hand on his shoulder.

"This is their fight, there'll be another, I'm sure, but let them handle this one." She says gently. Jack looks nervous, but he nods. I shoot Tooth a grateful glance before catching a thermal.

Cinderrose and I fight back to back, knowing the other's moves due to the decade of practice. Raven and Garnett fight on the floor, taking out Nightmares almost as easily as Cinderrose and I. North, Bunny, Tooth, Jack, and even Sandy watch us with interest. Jack had never seen either of us fight, so just the fact that we knew how shocks him.

Finally, Pitch's Nightmares are all gone. Cinderrose and I land next to the Guardians and our wolves jump up beside us. Jack looks about to frost them, but I quickly grab his wrist, not letting him. Raven pads over, and I whisper a quick hi. She nudges my palm, and I pet her head, watching the other's reactions. Sandy is forming symbols too fast to understand, Tooth looks impressed, Jack looks stunned, and North and Bunny are watching Pitch warily. I turn my attention to Pitch and he looks bored.

"What, she's doing something that hasn't been done in centuries, why do you all look so stunned?" He asks, laughing like a maniac. I glance at North, who glances at me, and then turns his gaze back to Pitch. I move my hand from Raven's head, and she stands by my side, growling softly.

"North, I'm expecting an explanation of that when we get back to the Pole." I say casually, and he just looks on. Raven continues to glare at Pitch, and I focus, looking through her eyes for a moment. The steady wolf could sense the shadows moving, and I easily focused, telling her to alert Garnett. The two wolves move, stalking their prey slowly, but with confidence. Cinderrose and I stand ready, the Guardians flanking us.

Jack's staff is out, and I already know he can use it. Bunny holds a boomerang, and I start to wonder if they're more than toys in the outback. Tooth doesn't look dangerous, but I know her wings are incredibly sharp. Sandy holds sand whips, and I know those hurt. (Not sure how I know, but, then again, I don't know how I know a lot of things.) North, of course, has giant swords, and if I wasn't positive that he was on our side, I would be running away, screaming. Even though I think we look dangerous, Pitch doesn't bat an eye.

"You honestly think that the seven of you can beat me?" He asks. I shrug in response.

"We'll never know till we try, now will we?" My casual answer seems to throw him for a moment.

"Well, let's see if you can beat my newest teammates. You Guardians left them all alone, memory less, with nowhere to turn. I took them in; I gave them a home, a purpose!" He sneers, triumph and, in certain places, sympathy layering his tone. "You ignored them, just like you and so many others ignored me!"

"Okay, we seriously need to figure out how many immortals are out there without memories!" Tooth mutters. I think for a minute, not understanding what she's saying until I remember that she's the Guardian of Memories, no wonder! This would be like a slap in the face for her.

I give her a quick, reassuring glance, and she seems to relax. "Please tell me that both of you remember your former lives." She says softly. Cinderrose nods, but I hesitate, not wanting her to feel worse, but not wanting to lie either. I finally shake my head. Tooth looks sad. "Why didn't you say anything?" She asks softly, but at that moment, Pitch's 'teammates' stepped forward.

The one girl has cloud-white hair like Jack's, except longer, with tints of blue rippling through it, and grey, stormy eyes. Pitch gestures to her and laughs.

"This is Lunasong. The Man in the Moon gave her that name, ironically. And this is Riverlily." The second girl has silvery hair and emerald green eyes. The things that catch my attention, however, are the bracelets on each girl's wrists.

Lunasong's are a dark grey color, glowing a light sky blue. They look like spirals, so with the other effects, they look like miniature twisters.

Riverlily's are made of vines, flowers, and plants. Well kinda. They look like they're made of water and seem to be constantly shifting on her wrist, glowing silver.

I glance at the fire wristlets on my own wrists, and the chain ones on Cinderrose. _How do they have ones like them? Is it some kind of sign? Are we supposed to work together or something, cause that is __**sooo**__ not happening._

The thoughts that flash through my head are really annoying, especially since Pitch is telling the other girls who to attack first. I'm pretty high on that list, and so is Cinderrose. Riverlily nods and steps forward at Pitch's command.

I'm not sure what I expect, but it isn't a thirty-foot wall of water. I barely have time to whip up a fire shield before the wave crashes over us.

Lunasong steps forward, creating twisters as she goes. Cinderrose takes the brunt of this attack, and I can tell it strains her.

I glance at the Guardians to see how they're holding up, but I don't like what I see. North is standing, slack-jawed, at the elemental powers trying to kill us and muttering something about a prophecy. _Ode to joy, just another thing to worry about. _I groan to myself.

The other girls suddenly attack together, and Cinderrose and I do the same. I use the smoke from the flames to disorient the other two, and Cinderrose throws dirt into the twisters, stinging their eyes, and overall, being annoying.

I suddenly zip into the air without a warning, throwing flames at the water girl. I carefully tie her in a lasso of flames, keeping the smallest barrier possible between her and the fire, but a barrier nonetheless. I know instinctively that if fire touches her, it'll sting like acid.

I'd made the mistake of dipping my hand in a creek a few years back, and I haven't touched water since. That stuff just doesn't work with me at all, but I can handle snow, which doesn't make any sense. I make a cage of fire, leaving the floor clear, and shut her in. She's about to grab the bars, but I lightly swat her hand away.

"Trust me; you do **not** want to touch that." She glares.

"What do **_you_** know about trust?" She snarls. "Lunasong and I have been friends for years, she's never let me down, and I trust her to get me out of here!" I watch her rant, totally bored.

"You done? I want to make sure my friend is okay." I ask casually. She looks annoyed beyond measure.

"I **_will _**get you for this fire girl, and when I do_" I cut her off.

"I'll be sorry, yeah, yeah, yeah, I got it." I sigh, flying off to make sure Cinderrose is okay. She's fine, and Lunasong is faring no better than Riverlily. She's down, knocked out, and stuck in an igloo-like structure made of earth. Pitch appears and looks furious.

"How in the world did they beat you?" He asks furiously. Riverlily suddenly seems to like the back of her cage as she shrinks backwards. Pitch sends Nightmare everywhere, and as we fight, we're helpless to do anything but watch as Pitch frees the captive spirits. By the time we finish, they're long gone.


	8. Chapter 8

**_Ch. 7 Being lost, and Being Seen_**

By the time we get back to the pole, the wolves have decided that they are never ever taking the sleigh again. As we go inside, something's wrong. North looks antsy, and the others whisper, trying to keep things as quiet as they are.

Wait, QUIET!? It's December 20th for crying out loud! The North Pole is NEVER quiet, let alone at this time of the year. North looks worried as I point this out and he walks into the Globe Room where a small note is stuck at the very top by two gleaming arrows.

Jack flies up and gets the note and the arrows without a second thought, and we stand nervously, watching as North reads the note. When he finishes, he's too furious to speak, so I quickly grab the note from his hand and read it aloud.

"Guardians,

Did you like my opening act? Get used to the losing feeling because the Prophecy of the Elementals will never come true. I'll make sure of it. You missing your precious Yetis yet North? I have them. Don't worry; they're unharmed, for now. Don't count on anything being permanent though. I might just have the girls fight them for amusement.

Nightmares to all,

Pitch

P.S. Cloudfire, you might want to rethink your position."

I finish reading, understanding why North is so furious, and surprising myself when I realize that the note hasn't burned to a crisp in my hand. I hand the note to Tooth, not wanting it to burst into flames if I do, and turn to North.

"What is the Prophecy of the Elementals? It must be a big deal, or it wouldn't keep coming up. Also, what was everyone going on about someone not doing something for a few centuries?" I manage to ask my questions, despite the fact that I'm aching to destroy something, preferably Pitch, but currently I'll go for anything that screams. North shakes his head.

"You must only be told at proper time. Not before, not after." I glare in annoyance, but finally agree, knowing for sure that Cinderrose and I will most definitely be breaking into North's study later. I catch her glance, and she nods. North sees our exchange and crushes our plan easily.

"Don't even think about I because I'll be in my study for a while, trying to figure out who those other two are. I have a book that says all immortals' names, and how long they've been around." North says, turning and walking towards his study. Just before he goes in, I think of something.

"Who will finish the toys?" I ask a real 'duh' question, but everyone freezes. North quickly starts talking with the other Guardians, minus Jack. I sigh in annoyance, needing something to do. Jack suddenly seems to think of something.

"Do you two want to meet a friend of mine?" His voice betrays his eagerness, even if his face doesn't, and I glance at Cinderrose.

"Are we taking the sleigh?" I ask hopefully.

"Sadly, no. North says that he won't let me drive it unless he wants it demolished." Jack answers, and Cinderrose answers for both of us.

"We're in." She grins, and I smirk.

"Race you there!" I challenge, glancing at the other two.

"Do you know where you're going?" Jack asks casually, balancing on the top of his staff.

"I'm guessing Burgess, but if we're wrong, then I guess you win." I answer calmly. Jack's grin attracts multiple tooth fairies, and I can't help but laugh. Jack lightly asks them to go collect teeth, and they quickly flutter off. I count down quickly.

"3…2…1…GO!" I call, excitement edging my tone. The three of us take off, and I don't try to take the lead. Cinderrose and Jack race off, but I keep my pace steady. When I get to the ocean, I notice Cinderrose off in the distance, drifting lazily, somehow using whatever dust particles are in the air to keep her up there.

I put on a little more speed, gliding around her so she doesn't even see me, and then I notice Jack. He's not that far ahead, and he obviously doesn't think that I'm as close as I am.

As we near Burgess, I see him head for Jamie's house. I instantly burst into motion, surfing past him in a second, and landing on Jamie's roof. Jack looks stunned, and I laugh. Cinderrose catches up a few moments later. Jack finally shakes it off and grins.

"Alright, why are we here again?" I ask, trying to sound bored, not confused. Jack continues grinning, and he points down. I recognize the kids beneath us.

Sophie and Jamie Bennett! Jack hops off the roof, and I follow, still confused, especially on why he's hiding. He quickly forms a snowball in his hands, takes aim, and throws. The snowball hits Jamie smack on the back of the neck.

Jamie turns quickly, scanning the sky. Sophie seems to have a better idea, as she's watching the ground. Unfortunately, neither of them are looking at Jack, and I'm still lost. Jack sneaks over, grabbing more snow on the way.

Suddenly, Sophie turns. Jack quickly holds a finger to his lips, telling her to be quiet. I suddenly see what's so strange about that. SHE CAN SEE HIM! My jaw drops, and Jack glances at me, nearly laughing.

Jack turns back around, carefully sneaks up on Jamie, and dumps the snow down his back. Jack instantly springs backward, laughing as Jamie yelps. I can't help but laugh along. I quickly fly over to Jack.

"They can see you!" I yelp, for lack of anything else to say. Jack just grins before turning to Jamie.

"If I told you there were more spirits than the Guardians, would you believe me?" Jack asks Jamie calmly. Jamie nods, not seeming sure where the conversation is going. I carefully dodge around Jamie, because I really don't want to be walked through. Jack glances back at me, and quickly tells me to make flames appear.

I focus carefully, making fire move down my arms. As it reaches my fingertips, I guide it through midair. I'm being more careful than normal, but Jack still looks nervous as I will the fire to loop around Jamie's hand.

Jamie, for his part, stands totally still. He stares at his hand in shock, and I'm guessing that if Jack wasn't there, he wouldn't be so easygoing about this. I finally pull the flames away, and Jack looks relieved.

I grin, moving the flames over around a tree. I carefully wrap each individual branch in fire, and Sophie applauds. As I pull the flames back to my hand, I hear a soft gasp. I glance up, instantly recognizing Skylar. She stares at **_me, _**not at the flames, and this simple action shocks me. I send the flames away, and fly over. Jamie is still staring at the tree until he notices his friend.

"Skylar, hi! How're you doing?" Jamie asks, grinning. Skylar just points to me stunned.

"Why is that girl floating?" She whispers. Jack shifts his gaze from Jamie to the new girl, shocked. Cinderrose finally steps over, she's been hanging out on the roof, watching. She glances at me, smiling slightly.

"She sees you!" She squealed, causing Jack, Jamie, and me to flinch. Jamie glances over and points Cinderrose out. Sophie had just been staring this entire time, but she grins.

"Hi, are you a friend of Jack's?" She asks, casually ignoring Skylar's glance of confusion. They can see us! Jamie quickly launches into an explanation of how he met Jack. Another girl walks over as he's explaining. Jamie breaks off to greet her, looking nervous.

Hi, Lily. How are you?" His voice shakes just slightly, and I can't help but notice how much bigger Lily is in comparison to him.

"I was good, until I saw my sister's friend with _you. _How can you believe in all this? The Boogeyman? Jack Frost? The Easter Bunny? Grow up, you moron, they're just stories for kids. Skylar, come on." She snaps, earning an instant dislike from me. Jack looks furious, but Skylar looks angrier than all of them.

"No! Leave Jamie alone, just because you don't believe doesn't mean you have to be a jerk about it. I can see Jack Frost too, are you going to yell at me too?" Skylar's glare was dangerous.

"Fine, where is he?" Lily sneers at the younger girl.

"You'll call me a liar anyway, you can only see him if you believe." Skylar retorts, her voice furious. Lily looks furious. They seem to forget that they're not alone, because suddenly they're screaming at each other.

"Just because you're with our family because you ratted on your dad for hitting your sister, doesn't mean you're wanted anywhere. If she were still alive, even she'd hate you. NOW COME ON!" Skylar looks hurt.

"The whole reason she got beat was because she ticked him off to get his attention off of me! The whole reason she's dead is because she made a deal with the kidnappers to make them let me go! She was braver than you'll ever be and you know it!" Skylar runs off down the street, ignoring Lily's shouts to come back.

Lily is furious, but Jack quickly gets Jamie to hide, and Cinderrose stays with them. I feel bad for Skylar, so I fly off after her. I find her a few moments later.

She found a quiet alleyway, and she's crying the same way she was when I first met her, right after she lost her sister. I quickly flit over, sitting next to her.

"What did Lily mean about your father and sister?" I ask her gently. I have a feeling that I should know this, but my brain is blanking out. Skylar hesitates a moment, and then blurts out her story.

"My father used to get really mad about the slightest thing. When he did, he always hit something. Most of the time, he hit the first person he saw, and that was usually mom. When she died, he remarried, but she was a witch. Not literally, but she would be able to tell when he would snap. She'd never hang around and try to do anything.

"Now, I was almost always the first person he saw. He'd swing once, and the first time I yelled, Steph always came. She would jump in between us, confusing him for a second; just long enough for me to run. I always ran to my room and locked the door. I felt like such a coward! She never screamed, never yelled for help, never even showed that she was hurt.

"After every time, she would come up to my room and tell me I could come down. I never tried to hug her, or even get close to her because I knew he hurt her. Even if I couldn't see the bruises, I knew they were there.

"One day, she was walking me home from school, and these two guys jumped out of the shadows. They grabbed me, but she quickly made a deal. If she could survive two weeks of their torture, they would let me live. I tried to argue, but she wouldn't listen. She never screamed, just like at home.

"She even let me lean against her, even though it had to hurt her. She survived the two weeks with seconds to spare, but they never planned to let me go. You're the only reason I'm alive today." Skylar finally finished, and by this time, I'm fuming. Who in their right mind would hurt a kit like this?

I lightly pull the younger girl into a quick hug until she finally stops crying. Then, I casually pull her to her feet and take her back to where Jamie, Jack, and Cinderrose still stand.

"Hey, Jamie, would your mom be okay with an unplanned sleepover? If not, then we can tell her something else, but the general thought is the same." I say casually. Skylar looks at me in complete confusion. "Well, it's not like I'm letting you go back to Lily's house. That girl is just cruel." I answer her glance. I glance at Jack, my meaning being 'I'll explain later' Jack nods, and we all head over to Jamie's house.

When we get there, Lily is there. She's going on about Jamie's belief. Jamie, Jack, and Cinderrose slip inside, and I stay outside with Skylar. She looks at me, her glance nervous.

"What if Jamie's mom says no?" She finally whispers. I give her a reassuring glance.

"If that happens, we'll think of something else." I answer. I silently swear to myself that this kit will never be hurt again as long as I'm around. I also consider what we'll do if Jamie's mom _does _say no.

We can't take her to the pole. Cinderrose and I can't take her because we don't actually have a place to go, we can't take her the Warren. The tooth palace might be an option, if there weren't so many pairs of eyes. _UGH, why are there no freakin' options!? _I groan silently.

Jack finally comes back outside. He has major bad news.

"Jamie's mom says no, and Lily's on her way outside. Leave fast!" He whispers quickly. I grab Skylar and gently pull her into the bushes. Jack flies back inside, making sure Jamie is safe.

I quickly guide Skylar silently through the streets, using the alleyways to our advantage. I finally find a small corner in the very back of a dead-end alley, and tell Skylar to stay there. I fly up, catch Jack's attention, and lead him back to Skylar.

When we get there, I hear a loud shout. Lily!

"Oh great StarClan, doesn't this girl know when to give the flip up?!" I shout in complete annoyance. Skylar looks terrified, and I'm not sure if it's because no one knows what to do next, or because Lily is about two streets over. I fly quickly, desperate for an idea. I finally see one of Tooth's minifairies in the distance. I fly over, suddenly glad that so many people have chimneys.

"Hey, little fairy. Could you please get Tooth? I really need to talk to her!" I call to the little hummingbird-like shape. She turns to me, gives a quick nod, and within a few minutes, Tooth flies over.

"There's a little girl who lives around here, and she lives with this older girl who's a complete jerk, and_" Tooth cuts me off with her confused expression.

"Could you go over that slower? And in English?" The second part is a joke, but I just groan and gesture for her to follow. When we reach where Skylar hides with Jack, Skylar explains her issue, looking a little shy as she admires Tooth's feathers. I give her a pleading glance when Skylar finishes.

"I don't know what we can do. North would probably be better to ask about this." Tooth seems hesitant to say any more, and I float without thinking about it, trying to come up with an idea. "Can't she stay with friends, or her actual family?" Tooth asks. Skylar did leave the bit about her family out. She glances at me, and I give her a quick, comforting nod.

"My sister was the only one who ever actually cared but she died. My dad's in jail for child abuse. My mom's dead, and I don't have any friends." Skylar rattled off quickly, trying to hide the pain of her words behind nonchalance, the way Jack hid his behind a joking smile and sarcasm. Tooth looks shocked.

"Did your father kill your sister?" She looks like she's too stunned to say much else. Skylar shakes her head.

"No, my father did kill my mom, though. My sister got killed by kidnappers. She was as brave as they come, but she shouldn't have taken my place!" She still tried to look like she didn't care, but she was close to crying by the end of her short story. I gently put my arm over her shoulder, and she seems to relax.

"I am **_not _**leaving her with that creep!" I mutter, knowing that everyone can hear. Tooth nods.

"I didn't figure that you were." Jack's easy response surprises me, but not Tooth. She nods, and I lightly pick the younger girl up.

She's probably about 10, but she's not that heavy. We all fly towards the Pole, except Cinderrose, she takes her own route. I use my flames to keep the little kit warm as we fly through the Arctic.


	9. Chapter 9

**_Ch. 8 We Will Make the Toys._**

When we finally reach the Pole, we soar in the window, and Bunny looks confused as to why in the world we have a 10-year-old with us. I put her on the ground as soon as I land, and Jack and Tooth explain why she's with us.

Sandy looks sympathetic. Bunny looks furious, but his anger isn't directed towards us. North, well, he's about the same as Bunny.

North puts a hand on my shoulder, and I automatically flinch. I always freak out if anyone touches me, probably due to the fact that almost every spirit I've ever met has tried to beat me up.

North asks me to follow him, and Skylar looks nervous. I glance at her, and then back at North. He looks confused for a moment, but then he understands.

"Of course Skylar can come too, this applies to both of you." North says with an easy grin. I give him a hesitant one in return, and follow. North leads us through the workshop, and Skylar seems to become less shy. She glances around eagerly, and even though it's practically empty, it's definitely something to marvel.

I smile as I watch the younger girl. She's not nearly as scared as the night I met her. North notices my grin, and he motions to a small object in a corner. I flit over, keeping one eye on Skylar.

It's a small locket, the kind that you can put pictures in, and there are complicated designs around the outside. The center has a simple sentence written on it. _Family lasts a lifetime. _I glance at North, then gesture to the locket, and Skylar, my question clear as he nods. The locket is for her.

I walk back over to North rather than flying, and his glance asks his question for him.

"Yeah, I think she'll love it." I answer softly, thinking of her sad story. North seems to understand what I'm thinking, and he asks my question.

"So, what do we do about her not having anyone to depend on? Aside from you, she really has no one." His tone was sad, and I just shrug.

"I don't know. I won't let her go back with Lily, her own family is horrible, the foster system is even worse, she's pretty much stuck." At that moment, Jack flies over with the answer to the 'short on toys' issue.

"We're going to help make the toys!" Jack's excited cry fills the empty workshop for a moment, and North just grins knowingly as I just roll my eyes. Skylar bolts over, her eyes gleaming with wonder ad excitement.

"Can I help?" She pleads, and I glance at North. He laughs, and nods smiling.

We all go to the Globe Room and the excitement in the air is infectious. The other Guardians, Cinderrose, Skylar, and I all look around at the unfinished toys, and I grin easily as I focus on sensing things that I can work within seconds. The yetis finished all the metal, more complicated toys earliest, so all that was left were wooden ones. Jack looks confused.

"Why are you smiling? Do you have any idea how much work this will be?" He demands playfully, and I smirk.

"I'll tell you what. You guys paint, and I will make the wooden shapes. Then, you can all complain that I'm going too fast." I challenge him confidently. Skylar and Cinderrose laugh as they realize what I mean. Wood burns, therefore it's connected to fire. This will be a piece of cake! Jack, however, doesn't get it.

"You're so on. Don't mess up." He smirks, and I nod before flying off. I find the wood blocks that North was going to make into toys within seconds, and then find a bunch of toy ice sculptures. I focus, my fire spreading over the blocks of wood and making the toys in a half a second.

I glance around for a place to put the toys as they finish. Jack and the others have set up an assembly line, so I sit them there. I 'borrow' Sandy's tendril thingy idea though, and zip through the workshop, my flames spreading everywhere, though I make sure they don't burn anything except the wooden blocks into toy shapes.

They set up a conveyer belt, but I quickly see how far behind they're getting, so I extend it. As the toys are completed, the flame conveyer belt picks them up and dries the paint in the same move. I grin, not having to do anything except watch and control the fire.

Tooth's minifairies that aren't out collecting teeth quickly come to help, whizzing around with tiny paintbrushes and getting the super-small details.

I grin as I look over the process. North swore that he had enough wood for every toy, so when I run out of wood blocks, I fly down and ask him if they were all in the same place. He nods, mostly focused on painting, and I fly back up to the rafters.

The Globe Room has such a high ceiling; it's easy to not be noticed. It's also awesome because you can see and hear everything.

I happen to glance out the window and almost have a heart attack. Sandy should be out spreading dreams already! I fly down and quickly explain. He gasps silently and forms his airplane out of sand. They were almost done, so Skylar took over Sandy's job.

They finished, and I grinned with relief. We all helped load the gifts on the sleigh, and I noticed that Skylar was starting to move slower. I fly down, and grin at her teasingly.

"Getting tired there Sky?" She shakes herself awake quickly, and opens her mouth to protest, but breaks off in a yawn. I grin. "it's a good thing Sandy's not here, you'd be out like a light." I tell her through laughs.

She glares up at me, and again, I'm struck with how familiar she looks. Not just because I saved her, or because I've seen her before, but because I know that I should know something else. I can't explain it.

I lightly pick her up, and she lays her head against my shoulder without protesting. I fly down to North, suddenly worried.

"Where should I take her? Jamie's mom said she can't stay, I won't let her stay with Lily, and I don't know what else to do." I say this in such a rush; I don't see how he could understand me. I might be speaking to North, but Jack is the one who answers.

"Her sister had a friend who disappeared, but her sister is nice." He offers. I stare at him, totally confused. He sighs, but explains again. "Her sister, Steph, had a friend, Leili. Both of them have vanished, assumed dead. Leili's _sister, _Callie, says something along the same lines as Skylar. Except for one thing.

"She said her sister told her to run, for no apparent reason, and when she hesitated, Leili gave her a light push and told her to trust her. Her sister disappeared, and no one's seen her since." Jack's story finished, and my thoughts turned to Riverlily for some reason. I nod, adjusting Skylar as I do.


	10. Chapter 10

**_Ch. 9 Sisters and Gifts_**

I fly off, my thoughts completely on the two girls who are currently sided with Pitch. I want to help them make a different decision, but I'm not sure exactly how. I think about it as I fly Skylar back to the other girl's house.

I tap on the window, and a girl about Skylar's age comes an opens it. She meets my gaze, her jaw dropping. I adjust Skylar, gently waking her up. She jumps slightly, looking up and silently waving 'hi' to the other girl. I flit in the window, gently sitting Skylar down, and introducing myself.

"Hi, I'm Cloudfire, and this is Skylar. I have a huge favor to ask…" Callie listens eagerly as I explain what I'd like her to do. She grins at the idea of getting a new sister, although it's obvious that she misses Leili. I leave Skylar where she is, and fly to Lily's house.

Skylar always leaves her window open, thank StarClan, so it is easy to zip into her room and use my fire to grab her stuff. I fly quickly back to Callie's house, magically putting the stuff in a suitcase as I fly.

When I get back, I fly Skylar down to the porch, suddenly glad of the time zone we're in. It's just about 7:30, so it's not like Skylar's coming at midnight. She rings the doorbell, and Callie explains to her bewildered mother that Skylar is her friend.

Her mom is very easygoing, thank the stars, and she agrees that Skylar can stay as long as she likes. I smile as Skylar goes in, and they show her to a guest room. She starts to open the suitcase, and I send a tendril of flame over, motioning her back.

She steps back quickly, and as soon as her suitcase is opened, everything organizes itself around the room. I make a small bracelet out of flames, and use some power to make it permanent. I slip inside as she opens the window, grinning as I hand her the bracelet.

"This is like a walkie-talkie, a weapon, and a distress signal all in one. If you need help, just tap it in an SOS in Morse code. If you just want to talk, say 'win together, lose together, live together, die together, Clanmates', and it'll connect yours to mine. If you need a weapon, just focus on what you need. It'll work, if you believe it will. Also, it'll only work for you, no one else. Plus, if you picture it on your wrist, it'll fly from wherever it is, and put itself on your wrist. Any questions?" I take a deep breath, and she laughs quietly, a sad expression on her face. "What's wrong?" I ask nervously. I thought she would like it.

"The way to make it connect to yours. That's a phrase my sister always used. She was a huge Warriors geek. She started an online thing for it. She never told me what her Warrior name was or any of her friends, but they were on there too." I grimace, feeling bad.

"I can probably change it if you want me to." I offer, and she looks almost horrified at the thought.

"No, I like it. It'll be like I'm still actively thinking about her." She answers softly. I nod in agreement.

"I need to get going, Jack and Cinderrose are probably having heart attacks for me being out here by myself, especially since I left Raven at the pole." The young kit gives me a quick hug, and I smile as I hug her back. She's the only one I've ever met that I don't want to run just because she touched me.


	11. Chapter 11

**_Ch. 10 Allies?_**

As I fly out the window, I fly skywards, trying to find the air spirit that was with Pitch. What was her name, Lunasong? Yeah that was it. I finally see a flicker of white and blue, and carefully flag her down.

"Hi, please don't blast me with a tornado; I just want to talk to you and Riverlily!" I yelp as soon as she's close enough to hear me. She seems to relax as I speak, and nods before turning and giving a quick whistle. She still watches me suspiciously, and within a few minutes Riverlily appears.

I watch both of them for a few seconds, noting how close they seem. Riverlily seems to be more 'out-of-my-way' while Lunasong is shyer. I finally take a quick breath and begin.

"Look, I know what it's like to be totally alone without memories. I've been there, for 250 years in fact. I'm honestly asking here, but do you really want the whole world to be terrified of you?" I blurt out. I was never any good at these kinds of heart-to-heart chats. Riverlily looks thoughtful.

"We can have friends in that kind of world. People will see us." She murmurs softly, but I can see doubt in her gaze. Lunasong speaks then, surprising us.

"People won't **want **to be our friends if they're terrified. They'll run away." I silently thank MiM, StarClan, and whoever else might be listening.

"Do you want friends? Honest, true friends who'll stick with you?" I ask, looking at each of them in turn. Lunasong and Riverlily lock glances for a few seconds, a way of communicating with someone who truly knows you.

After what seems like forever, Riverlily turns to me.

"We're in. Just tell us what to do." Her voice is positive as she smiles. I grin and fill her in on my plan.

**_A/N I'M SORRY, I KNOW THIS IS SHORT. THIS STORY IS ACTUALLY ALMOST OVER NOW THAT I THINK OF IT. :'(  
I'M PROBABLY MAKING IT A TRILOGY, JUST SAYING. FYI, IT WILL MOST POSITIVLY INVOLVE BETRAYAL, SADNESS, AND OVERALL CRAZINESS._**


	12. Chapter 12

**_Ch. 11 Shadows, Sisters, Epilogue_**

After meeting with the other two girls, I quickly fly back to the Pole. As soon as I get there, I'm assaulted with questions.

"Where were you, it's almost time for North to go?" Tooth flies around nervously.

"How long does it take to get one little ankle biter situated?" Bunny's nerves are getting the better of him, I think.

Of everyone, Jack, North, and Sandy seem calmest. Cinderrose fell asleep on the chair in North's library, so she isn't around, but still.

North takes off quickly, the rest of us following behind. Everyone is tense, me included, though I'm tense for a different reason. North notices, and sends me off to deliver a few gifts.

As soon as I leave, I get a bad feeling in my stomach. I finish delivering the gifts, then fly back to find everything in total chaos. Pitch had attacked the sleigh, there were Nightmares everywhere, and Pitch was ordering Lunasong and Riverlily to attack the Guardians.

I instantly change my bracelets into my bow and quiver. Lunasong notices me, and nudges Riverlily. I give them a quick signal to chase the Guardians out of Pitch's sight, not attack them. Pitch, however, has other plans.

He raises his hand, Nightmare appearing from everywhere. I take aim, ignoring the 'Mares themselves, and aiming for Pitch. As the North, Sandy, Jack, Tooth, and even Cinderrose fight back to back, Bunny fights with his back to Pitch. That stood out to me as purely stupid, so I watch Bunny extra closely as I shoot Nightmares from my hiding spot.

I hadn't really liked Bunny ever since '69 when he didn't let Jack explain what had actually happened, but there was no way in the Dark Forest that I was letting any of them get hurt. I was so close to letting the arrow fly when Pitch pulls a black sand bow and arrow out of his cloud of Nightmare Sand.

As he draws, aiming at Bunny, the Guardian I liked the least, I don't even think. I lunge forward just as he lets the arrow fly, adrenalin (Spelling?) coursing through me. I barely register the pain in my chest, and I don't yell. I moved with enough speed that no one knew what had happened.

Though I can't feel the pain, I can feel the shadows moving through my veins. I can barely think through the fear. So, I do the stupid thing. I send all my light, white, _good _energy into my last arrow. Just before the shadows reach my mind, I nock the arrow, let it go, and watch it hit Pitch straight in the heart.

I watch as the shadows actually seem to **run** out of him, away from him. I made sure the arrow wouldn't hurt him, it would make him good. I shove the shadows away from my mind just long enough to give Jack a shaky smile, point to Lunasong and Riverlily, telling him they're on the Guardians' side now, and fly away, as fast as my power can take me.

I know the shadows must have an effect on my appearance, because Jack had looked horrified. I'm terrified that the shadows that are coursing through my blood will make me hurt my friends, so I run. I know I can't hold the shadows back forever, but I also know that I need to be as far from the Guardians as possible when I lose that fight.

**_I will not hurt them, I will not hurt them. _**I chant the words to myself as I try to keep the shadows back.

Finally, I can't fly anymore. I crash-land in the same old barn I became a spirit in, and give up, letting the shadows surge into my mind.

To my surprise, the shadows from the arrow don't try to turn me to the way Pitch was. It's just an extreme dose of fear that leaves me trembling. I just think that it might be over when something in the back of my mind seems to snap and all of my memories rush into my head at once.

I watch bits and pieces, trying to make sense out of them. There's so many that eventually I manage to almost put them in rooms. It's like a hallway filled with memories, each door holding a different scene. I watch them all, from the happy ones where I'm hanging out with the members of my band, to the ones where I'm protecting my sister, Skylar.

As I watch how I died, I suddenly realize why Skylar looks familiar to me, and vice versa. We were, _are_ **_sisters. _**The word doesn't compute with my mind for the longest time.

I flinch as I understand why I hate physical contact, and, though I haven't shown them to anyone, why I have scars all over my chest, back, and sides. I remember what Skylar said about her dad being in prison, and I can't help but feel a surge of pride in my little sister. She did what I never had the guts to do. Go for help.

I carefully study the shadows that are now, as much as I may dislike it, a part of me. They're practically alive, and it's a little creepy, but as I almost communicate with them, I realize that there are normal shadows, like the ones I'm stuck with, and there are evil ones, like the ones my light arrow destroyed.

I carefully get up from where I sit on the floor and walk over to a nearby puddle. I gasp as I see my reflection. My eyes are now a duller gold, like Pitch's, and there are shadows in my hair, moving constantly in a way that reminds me of Medusa's snakes. I'm suddenly impressed with Jack, the fact that he didn't scream or run when he saw me.

I lightly brush against the wall of the barn and shadows curl from my hands. I had been considering going back and telling everyone that I was fine, but now I think I'll work at figuring out any new powers. I flick my hand, focusing on fire, like I used to, and can't help but be relieved when I can still summon my element.

I think back over my life, my mortal life, anyway, and suddenly understand why Riverlily had looked familiar too. Leili, my one friend from 4th grade or so, the one whose sister had told the police that she'd disappeared, yep that was her. Skylar would love being her friend. Wait, SKYLAR! I sooo need to tell her about, well, _everything_ I quickly fly to Burgess.

The instant I get there, I sense fear. I'm not as creepily attracted to it as Pitch was, but I feel bad for whoever's scared, so I follow it anyway. I quickly find a younger boy, about seven or eight, curled up in his bed, scared, a Nightmare dancing around his head. I move my left hand, holding it out, and moving my fingers until I figure out how to control it. I pull it gently away from the boy and race off to find Sandy without a second thought.

On the way, I find even more Nightmares, and I know for a fact that I'm not the one making them. I call them all to me, and just keep flying.

Eventually, I find Sandy's cloud of dream sand. I yell his name, getting his attention before I think about the fact that I just showed up with dozens of Nightmares. He instantly forms his whips, and I fly backwards, my past experiences with whips were not pleasant ones.

I keep a firm grip on the Nightmares, leading one forward slowly, trying to show that I'm not here to attack Sandy. He apparently doesn't get it because as soon as I turn to the other Nightmares, I feel the sand whip loop around my wrist.

I flinch as he yanks me over to the dream sand cloud, his expression slightly fearful, but mostly trying to hide the fearful part. I flinch away, quickly yank my hand away from the whip, and grab a handful of dream sand, throwing it on the first Nightmare I see.

Sandy looks shocked as I force them to stay close enough that he can change them into dreams, but far enough away that they don't mess with the dreams he's sending out now.

When the last of the Nightmares are gone, I glance at Sandy warily. He stares back, totally shocked.

"Don't tell the other Guardians!" I yelp, flying off before Sandy can decide that he doesn't want a potential enemy bringing him Nightmares, even if it _is _to turn them into dreams.

I fly to Skylar's house, trying to forget the look on Sandy's face when I showed up with a bunch of Nightmares. Skylar opens the window before I knock, and I slip inside.

"How did you know I was coming?" I ask, slightly puzzled.

"The Moon told me. He also said that even though you look different, you're still you, and I can still trust you." She looks at the shadows that are still flickering through my hair, and smiles. "He wasn't kidding about the looking different part. Why did you come here in the middle of the night again?" She asks, suddenly reminding me of the purpose of my visit.

"Do you remember when we first met, how I couldn't remember anything, even my own name?" I ask softly, suddenly unsure of how to break it to her that her sister has been closer than she thought.

"Yeah, but you still helped me." Skylar grinned. She lightly hopped back into bed, gesturing for me to sit with her. I hop up next to her quickly.

"I got my memories back at the same time I got a creepy makeover." I mean the last part as a joke, and Skylar smiles, understanding my weak attempt at humor. She waits for me to go on. I take a quick breath and blurt out the three words that I hope she'll believe me on.

"I'm your sister." Skylar looks like she's wondering what kind of prank I'm pulling, but I look at her, deadly serious.

"Are you joking? Because if you are…"

"I'm not, I promise. Come on Sky, please believe me." I whisper the last part, but she hears.

"Prove it. Tell me something only Steph would say." Skylar answers. To be honest? I can't blame her for not believing me right off.

"Something only Steph would say." I repeat softly. She nods. I think for a moment, and then blurt out only thing I can think of. "F sharp, G flat, 2, 4, B flat!" I was a musician, and we used to use the most random combinations as codes.

Skylar's eyes widen as she repeats the rest. "3, 4, 6, 8, treble clef, A flat, bass clef." She hugs me quickly, still not totally sure, but trusting me. I smile and hug her back.

She suddenly pulls away, looking out the window as something gold flies past. _Sandy. _I flinch as I think about the whip wounds from my other life, the scars I still have. I don't explain anything to Skylar, I just smile.

"You need to get some sleep now, okay? I'll be back tomorrow, I promise." Skylar nods sleepily and I slip out the window as the dream sand flickers into the room, not wanting to accidently turn it into a Nightmare.

**_MEANWHILE THE POLE_**

(No one's POV)

Jack, Tooth, Bunny, Cinderrose, Lunasong, Riverlily, and even Pitch try to figure out how to contact the shadow/ fire girl while North looks over books in his study. He looks over at a specific, fancy one. The Prophecy of the Elementals is in that book.

North sighs and quickly opens the book to the correct page. It reads:

'When all is lost, and the world is dark and cold

Betrayal is far too common and bold

Fire and shadow shall fly as one

The Elemental Tornado as bright as the sun

And the ones no one could expect

Come and make the ancient reflect

On the error of their ways

To a single member, bright as the sun's rays

Working together, as family and friend

They will easily succeed without end'

No one understood the ancient prophecy, nor did many know of it. The only thing that made sense to North at all was the 'Elemental Tornado.' It was never accomplished because the four working it needed to be in complete synch. There had always been arguments between the elements.

_Well, _thought North _we'll just have to wait and see_.

_**WELL, ON THAT HAPPY NOTE, I'LL LEAVE YOU. POOR CLOUDFIRE WILL JUST HAVE TO HANG OUT WITH THE SHADOWS FOREVER!**_

_**OKAY, OKAY, I'M JOKING, BUT THE PART OF THE PORPHECY THAT RINGS THE MOST TRUE IS THE BETRAYAL. (BTW, I'M SORRY, I'M NO GOOD AT POETRY!) BTW, CINDERROSE IS KIND OF A JERK IN THE NEXT BOOK.**_


End file.
